Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
  • B26D5/00—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
  • B26D5/007—Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
  • B26D5/00—Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
  • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
  • B26D7/27—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting
  • B26D7/30—Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for weighing cut product
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
  • G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
  • G01B11/24—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures
  • G01B11/2433—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures for measuring outlines by shadow casting
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
  • G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
  • G06V10/10—Image acquisition
  • G06V10/12—Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof
  • G06V10/14—Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements
  • G06V10/145—Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
  • B26D2210/00—Machines or methods used for cutting special materials
  • B26D2210/02—Machines or methods used for cutting special materials for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S83/00—Cutting
  • Y10S83/929—Particular nature of work or product
  • Y10S83/932—Edible
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/04—Processes
  • Y10T83/0505—With reorientation of work between cuts
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/04—Processes
  • Y10T83/0524—Plural cutting steps
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/141—With means to monitor and control operation [e.g., self-regulating means]
  • Y10T83/148—Including means to correct the sensed operation
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/162—With control means responsive to replaceable or selectable information program
  • Y10T83/173—Arithmetically determined program
  • Y10T83/175—With condition sensor
  • Y10T83/178—Responsive to work
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/525—Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
  • Y10T83/527—With means to control work-responsive signal system
  • Y10T83/53—To change length of product
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/525—Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
  • Y10T83/533—With photo-electric work-sensing means
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/525—Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
  • Y10T83/536—Movement of work controlled
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/687—By tool reciprocable along elongated edge
  • Y10T83/6905—With tool in-feed
  • Y10T83/693—Of rectilinearly reciprocating tool

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method and a device for separating disk-shaped bodies from an original body, the surroundings of the end face of the original body being illuminated, the respective end face of the original body being recognized optically by means of a detection device with the aid of the contrast between the surroundings of the end face and the end face is determined, the slice thickness required for a given slice weight from the specific mass of the original body and the end face and the separation of the slice-shaped body is controlled with the value determined in this way.
• DE-PS 28 20 583 C2 and EP 246 668 A2 describe a method in which the weight of the slices which have already been cut off is determined with a balance and the feed is set in accordance with the determined total weight. This process is cumbersome and lengthy since each balance takes a certain amount of time to reach its equilibrium position. Fast weighing therefore fails due to physical laws such as natural vibration processes, poor filtering of disturbances etc. and the inevitable time lag between weighing and cutting.
• DE-OS 38 08 709 AI describes a method for detecting the cut surfaces during the cutting process, in which the cut surface is illuminated with lighting fixtures and this is captured using the reflection behavior with a CCD camera. Both the camera and the lighting fixtures are arranged frontally in front of the cutting surface. The method reaches its limits if the drop height cannot be chosen to be sufficiently large for cutting reasons, such as portions that come very close to the cutting surface due to their increasing height during cutting or special shingle techniques. In addition, problems arise with cutting devices that work with very high cutting rates of up to 2,000 cuts per minute. At these high speeds, the one already cut falls
• DE-PS 37 14 199 C2 described cutting device can be reduced by the lighting elements have been arranged directly behind the cutting plane next to the cutting knife.
• the actual cross-sectional area can be determined very precisely through the direct cut area determination.
• US Pat. No. 5,129,298 describes a cutting device in which the contour of an original body is illuminated with dark field illumination.
• three lighting elements for illuminating a ground glass screen are arranged behind the original body in order to guide light rays obliquely from above in the longitudinal direction of the original body onto the upper cutting edge and obliquely from the side onto the side edges.
• the quality of the illumination can be impaired by reflections and shadows.
• hollow layers and indentations on the underside of the product cannot be recognized.
• the object of the invention was therefore to provide a method and a device for separating disc-shaped bodies from an original body, in which the above-mentioned problems are avoided.
• the surroundings of the end face of the original body should be illuminated, the respective end face of the original body should be optically recognized with the aid of a detection device with the aid of the contrast between the surroundings of the end face and the end face, the slice thickness from the specific mass required for a given slice weight of the original body and the end face can be determined, and the separation of the disk-shaped body can be controlled with the value determined in this way.
• the device should have a separating device, a feed device for advancing the original body
• an optical detection device for determining the end face contour of the original body and lighting fixtures for illuminating the surroundings of the separating surface, the detection device using the contrast between the surroundings the end face and the original body is determined and the feed of the original body takes place as a function of the determined end face.
• the object is achieved by the method according to claim 1 in that the original body is guided in a tunnel and the original body is illuminated with a plurality of lighting elements which are arranged in the tunnel along the longitudinal direction of the original body.
• the device according to the characterizing features of claim 6 has a plurality of lighting elements arranged along the longitudinal direction of the original element. This ensures uniform and high-contrast illumination of the area around the end face.
• a tunnel is also advantageously suitable for improved illumination of the cut edges of the original body if a large number of lighting elements are arranged in the tunnel.
• the tunnel advantageously has up to four different areas that provide different radiations. In a first area, diffuse radiation occurs with an intensity that is reduced towards the cutting plane.
• the first area consists of the front surface of the tunnel next to the cut surface, the middle area of the tunnel cover, the front and middle part of the side walls and the tunnel floor.
• the lighting fixtures are advantageously individually adjustable, e.g. the radiation direction of the lighting fixtures can be individually aligned, e.g. are movable by motor.
• the setting of the lighting fixtures is carried out with a corresponding control which has a memory for storing settings for the lighting fixtures.
• the lighting fixtures are advantageously readjusted during operation by the control reflecting signals and Contrast information of the detection device is evaluated and the lighting fixtures are adjusted so that the reflections are minimized and the contrast is increased.
• This second area is formed from the front part of the tunnel cover next to the cutting plane and is used in particular to illuminate additional elements, e.g. Product retainer.
• additional elements e.g. Product retainer.
• radiation is provided which is directed obliquely forward towards the cutting plane, so that the cutting edge is illuminated and the contrast is increased.
• the third area is formed from the rear part of the tunnel cover.
• This fourth area radiation is directed towards the original body.
• This fourth area is formed at least from the central area of the exposed side wall. This area is used to illuminate the side surface of the original body.
• the side wall on which the original body rests can be moved. Then the face can be optimally aligned and grasped.
• the lighting conditions can also be optimized by moving the side walls.
• Figure 1 a schematic device for separating disc-shaped bodies in section along the transport direction;
• Figure 2 a front view of the device;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lighting frame for the device
• Figure 4 - a longitudinal sectional view of the lighting frame.
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the device for separating disc-shaped bodies 1 from an original body 2, in which the original body 2 is mounted on a feed device 3 and is fed by this to a separating device 4.
• the separating device 4 is an eccentrically rotating circular knife. Near the cutting surface
• the original body 2 is carried by a lighting frame 6.
• the top of the original body 2 is guided by a hold-down 7, which is inclined in the transport direction T.
• the lighting frame 6 and the feed device 3 are inclined so that the transport direction T forms an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the horizontal.
• the disk-shaped bodies 1 then fall down due to the force of gravity and are transported away from the separating device 4 by means of an extraction belt 8.
• the take-off belt 8 is a horizontal conveyor belt.
• the cut surface 5 of the original body 2 is captured by a camera 9 which is arranged on the right in front of the cut surface and at a relatively flat angle thereto.
• the recording angle must be relatively flat, especially at very high cutting capacities, so that the following disc, which is still in the process of being cut, can be picked up while a disc that has already been cut is falling.
• FIG. 6 shows the device in the front view.
• the original body 2 eg sausage, ham, cheese etc.
• the lighting frame 6 is mounted in the lighting frame 6 and is illuminated by the lighting elements 10a, 10b, 10c, which are installed in the lighting frame 6.
• the separating device 4 is a circular knife which rotates about its axis, the axis being mounted in an eccentrically rotating manner.
• disk-shaped bodies 1 are separated cyclically from the original body 2 in succession.
• the camera 9 is arranged at a flat angle to the right in front of the cutting surface 5 and the lighting frame 6 and covers the entire opening of the lighting frame 6.
• the lighting frame 6 forms a tunnel through which the cutting process runs. As can be seen in FIG. 1, this tunnel begins at a sufficient distance in front of the cutting plane and ends at the cutting plane.
• the camera 9 captures both the cut surface 5 and the front area of the lighting frame 6 directly.
• a detection device 11 connected to the camera 9 evaluates the contours between the cut surface 5 and the opening of the lighting frame 6 and determines the respective end face of the original body 2 Slice weight calculated required slice thickness.
• the feed device 3 is controlled by the detection device 11 such that the corresponding slice thickness is separated from the original body 2 in the subsequent cut.
• the cut surface is acquired as a dark field, ie the area around the cut surface 5 is brightly illuminated and the cut surface 5 appears dark.
• the lighting frame 6 divided into several areas I, II, III, IV, in which the adjustable lighting elements 10 are installed.
• the lighting elements 10 are set differently in the individual areas.
• the parts of the lighting frame 6 which are captured directly by the camera form the background for the product contour and must shine diffusely and weakly.
• the lighting fixtures 10 are therefore aligned such that the area I has diffuse radiation, ie the radiation intensity to the cutting plane is reduced, the edge also radiating.
• the area I consists of the front edge of the lighting frame 6, a transverse strip in the middle of the cover 12 and the free side wall 13 of the lighting frame 6, the front side edge and the side wall against which the original body 2 rests.
• a rearward-facing field is provided to accommodate existing built-in parts, e.g. to hold down the hold-down device 7 so that they do not produce a disturbing shadow on the illuminated surface of the original body 2.
• the built-in parts can also be provided with additional lighting elements attached to them.
• the area II also illuminates the surface of the original body 2 in order to form shadows, e.g. due to waviness of the product surface.
• the area II is located in the front area of the cover 12 of the lighting frame 6.
• an area III is provided which delivers a radiation directed towards the front in the direction of the edge of the original body 2.
• the direction of radiation is oblique so that the radiation through the original body 2 is as low as possible.
• the contour of the original body 2 is emphasized by the direct illumination of the edge.
• an area IV is provided in the center thereof, which delivers a radiation directed straight onto the original body 2.
• the other side wall, on which the original body 2 rests, can be displaceable.
• the lighting fixtures installed in areas I to IV can be adjusted by hand or automatically, so that the lighting conditions apply to the original fixtures 2 and certain design conditions, e.g. additional built-in elements and special hold-down devices 7 can be adapted for the product.
• a controller (not shown) can be provided, which has a memory in which settings of the lighting fixtures 10 which are defined for different environmental conditions are stored.
• Control is also designed so that the individual lighting fixtures 10 can be adapted to changes not only for the basic setting, but also during the cutting process.
• the controller is connected via an interface to the detection device and to actuators of the lighting fixtures 10, the detection device recognizing disturbing reflections and blurring of contrasts and supplying corresponding information to the control for readjustment of the lighting fixtures 10.
• the recognition device 11 should be able to carry out a correction of the surface or its surface boundary depending on the pixel position of the recognized image in order to compensate for the distortions caused by the viewing angle and the distortions of the optics of the camera 9. Then a correct one
• the cross-sectional area can be determined. This equalization should preferably be carried out using appropriate hardware so that an image evaluation and an adjustment of the feed can take place immediately with each cut.
• 4 shows the lighting frame 6 in longitudinal section. From the beam path, which are different in the different areas I, II and III, it can be seen that the original body 2 is illuminated areally along its longitudinal direction, different brightnesses and radiation directions being provided.
• a first section A extends from the cutting surface 5 in the longitudinal direction of the original body 2 counter to the transport direction T. This section A has a low radiation intensity, which is caused in particular by the fact that the light in region II is directed rearwards and the lighting bodies 10 emit diffuse radiation of low intensity in section A.
• the section B lying behind the section A in the direction opposite to the transport direction T has a high radiation intensity.
• the lighting fixtures 10 are controlled in the area I so that they emit very bright light.
• a third section C in the area of the edge of the cut surface 5 is also irradiated with a high intensity by the lighting bodies 10 being controlled accordingly in the area III.
• the individual lighting fixtures 10 are actuated in a pulsed manner so that negligible heat development occurs.
• the camera 9 and the detection device 11 are appropriately triggered or shuttered, so that good image sharpness and a high signal-to-noise ratio against ambient light are ensured.
• suitable additional lighting can be arranged in front of the end face 5, so that the dark field can be evaluated differentially, for example to differentiate between fat and muscle meat, or a perforation that is present in cheese, for example, can be detected and can be included in the weight calculation.
• the radiation intensity of the lighting fixtures 10 can also be controlled by providing a translucent element on the inner surface of the lighting frame 6, in which the light transmittance can be controlled.
• the element can be designed, for example, in the manner of an LCD display with a control matrix, individual areas of the element being controllable differently. However, a large number of elements can also be provided, each of which can be set individually with a specific light transmission for the entire element.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Artificial Intelligence (AREA)
• Investigating Materials By The Use Of Optical Means Adapted For Particular Applications (AREA)
• Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
• Control Of Cutting Processes (AREA)
• Processing Of Meat And Fish (AREA)
• Processing Of Stones Or Stones Resemblance Materials (AREA)
• Image Analysis (AREA)
• Mechanical Treatment Of Semiconductor (AREA)
• Finish Polishing, Edge Sharpening, And Grinding By Specific Grinding Devices (AREA)

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Publications (2)

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• 1999
  • 1999-02-16 DE DE19906021A patent/DE19906021C2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-02-15 AT AT00916747T patent/ATE223282T1/de active
  • 2000-02-15 EP EP00916747A patent/EP1152873B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-02-15 DE DE50000449T patent/DE50000449D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-02-15 JP JP2000599568A patent/JP4361216B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-02-15 NZ NZ511974A patent/NZ511974A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-02-15 WO PCT/DE2000/000428 patent/WO2000048800A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2000-02-15 DK DK00916747T patent/DK1152873T3/da active
  • 2000-02-15 AU AU38010/00A patent/AU754498B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-02-15 ES ES00916747T patent/ES2179026T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2001
  • 2001-08-16 US US09/931,606 patent/US7185574B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

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